Deputies: Man charged in road-rage assault

An Upstate man is charged with assault and battery after a road-rage incident, according to an incident report.

A Spartanburg County deputy was called to Reidville Road and Anderson Mill Road for a disturbance call.

When the deputy arrived, he was told by the victim that he was driving his family to Shoguns restaurant when he passed a gray car while trying to get off the exit.

The victim said when he passed the car, the driver followed him with his lights flashing and flicking him off with his finger.

The victim, Mark Gilbert, told News4's Mike McCormick that the driver eventually got next to him and threw something into the car, hitting him in the face.

"It was like a little battery pack remote control. It had two double-A batteries in it," Gilbert said.

Gilbert still has a scrape on his face where the object hit him.

According to the report, Gilbert followed the car and got its license plate number.

Gilbert told deputies both cars stopped at a trailer park, and the other man jumped out of his car with a tire iron, the report said.

The victim called 911.

Deputies said they were able to track the driver down, and Gilbert identified him.

Walter Richard Barnette is charged with assault and battery.

"If we didn't report him, the next time he might cause someone to really wreck, and all of them get killed. We could've easily went off the side of the bridge after he hit me, but luckily I can take a punch," Gilbert said.

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